Engine-starter.



J. W. PITZ GERALD.

ENGINE STARTER. APPLICATION FILED AUG. zo. 1910.

Patented Apr.4, 1911.

2 SHEETS-SHEET l.

.By @maw J. W. FITZ GERALD.

ENGINL` STARTER.

APPLIoATIoN FILED AUG.ze,191o.

Patented Apr. 4, 1911.

Z SHEBTS-SHEBT 2. 27 l y 02g )20 i12 35 25 Wfl. i

JOHN WATSON FITZGERALD, OF GRAND RAPIDS, MICHIGAN.

ENGINE-STARTER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 4, 1911.

Application filed August 26, 1910. Serial No. 579,102.

To all whom 'it may concern:

Be it knownthat I, Jo'iiv lVA'rsox Frizoniciii), a citizen of: the'llnited States ot' America, residing at Gti-and Rapids, in the county of Kent and State ot" Michigan, have invented certain new .and useful lmprovements in Engine-Starters; and I `do hereby declare the following to be a fulhclear, and

exact description of the invention, 1suoli as will enable others skilled in the ait to which it appertains to make and use the same,

lvly invention relates to improvement in.

startersfor internal combustion engines, and more particularly to the classot devices in whichl a combustible mixture is supplied to the' proper cylinder or cylinders of the engine, and fired, to `furnish the initial or starting impulse or impulses, until'the en` gine assumes the normal running,r process;

. 2o" .My inventionv resides mainly :in the construction and operation of the valves attached to the cylinders, whereby said valves auton'iaticallv` determine the proper cylinder or cylinders to receive the initial charge and close ofi the other cylinders. and in various details of construction and arrangenient, as will more fully appear by reference to the accompanying drawings in which;

Figure 1 is a vertical section through the valves and combustion chambers of a four cylinder )engine having my invention applied thereto. Fig. 2 is an erilargecltletail of one of the valves comprised 'in my invention shown in planview. F ig. 3 a side elevation of the same. Fig. l a vertical section of the same shown in closed position, Fig. 5 the saine in openposition. Fig'. 6 a portion of the same showing,` the valve 4o in position to stop otl' a, cylinder that is not in condition toy receive the initial charge. Fig'. 7 a transverse section' ot. one of the valves on the line of 7--7 of Fig. 5.

Like numbers refer to like parts in all of the figures.

l 2 3 and t represent the cylinders of a tour cylinder internal combustion engine, having' the usual combustion chambers l Q 8a and l.Wand exhaust valves 5 6 7 and S communicating respectively with exhaust chambers 13 llt and 15,*and intake valves S) l() ll and l2 con'imunicating with intake chambers l'ti and l? 'tor Supplyingr a combustible mixture to the engine, all operatingr in the usual manner ot' such engines.

S0 far, the device represents a common forni of internal combustion lengine, and obviously is not hunted to the spccic torni shown, and my invention obviously may be `adapted to an engine with a different number of cylinders, as preferred.

Coniinunicatii'ig with each combustion chamber is a small pipe or passage '18, mounted on which are annular sockrts lf) cach adapted to receive the shank ot' a valve body 20, having: a passage therethrough V closed and opened by a valve 21, cylindrical in part and conical in part as shown, the

lconical party adapted to close said passage against the incon'iing initial charge of coinbustblc mixture which latter is introduced from any convenient sources otl supply, (preferably a pump) by means of pipes Q9 communicating with the interior ot' each valve body. For cach valve 21 a detached valve stem 22 is provided, terminating adjacentl to the valve Q1 in a "piston end of the saine diameter as the body oit said valve, and movable in the chamber of the valve body independent ot' the valve 2l so that it will sepa ate therefrom` leaving a space there between to receive the combustible mixture from the pipe 29 and hold the valve closed, and when in Contact with the. valve as hereafter described will mechanically hold thc same closed, or will move away from the 'alve leaving' the same closed, according to circumstances as hereinafter pointed out, in the operation ot' the device.

Engaging the end of the valve stein is a reversible cam 23 provided with a lever 24. and fixed on a shaft 25 by a set screw 35; when this cani is turned with the thick side toward the steni22 the stein will be moved in fard in contact with the valve 21, inechanically closing the same, andv when the cam is turned with thethin side toward the same the stem is free to move outward and is so moved by a spring 32 engaging a collar on the outer end of the stein, thus leaving the valve 21 closed and opening a space between the valve and the piston end of the stem 22 into which space the combustible mixture from the pipe 29 will flow and thus hold the valve closed by the pressure of the saine, which valve position is illustrated in Figs. l, and 6, and is the posi tion which the valve will assume whenever slots 28 arranged longitudinally in the rod.

The shaft is. provided with aspring 34 which spring rotates the cam in the direction to close the respective valve.

ViThen a valve has been blown open it,

will be positioned as in Fig. with its cylindrical portion closely surrounded by the case. The incoming fluid thus cannot get behind the valve to close the same, and the valve will usually stay open. To insure this result, however, I may provide special re n may require, the stem of the valve body is provided with an annular groove 3l communicating with the interior of the valve body through a suitable opening whereby the valve body may be rotatively adjusted in the socket 19, so that the pipe 18 may be inserted 4vertical inclined or horizontal, as occasion may require and the valve remain in upright position in any event.

rllhe lever Q4 is detachable from the cam Q3, and by removing and re )lacing the shaft 25 the cam may be reverse relative to the lever which permits reversing the valve body end for end as occasion may require. These features of adjustability enable me to adapt the device to a great variety ot engines as occasion may arise.

ln operation, when the engine is running the rod 27 is moved so as to permit the springs 34 to turn the cams 23 to close the valves, and as each valve comes to closed position, the slots QS permit the rod 27 to move independent of the levers Q4 and thus permit each spring to independently close the respective valve; l am thus able to insure accurate closing of these valves. The engine will normally stop with the piston of one rylinder on the working stroke, and the piston of another cylinder on the compres-:ion stroke, which as illustrated herein are the cylinders l and 2; these cylinders will also have the valves 5 6 5) and 10 closed and thus there 'will be pressure of fluid in the chambers and. 9*; the other two cylinders will have respectively the eX- haust Valve and the intake valve open, and. thus there would be no pressure in the chainbers 3" and 4a. The rod 27 being shifted to turn the cams and release the valves the stem 22 of each will be moved outward by the springs 32, the pressure in the chambers la and 2a will now blow the respect] ve. valves open to th'e position shown 1n Figs.

l 'and 5 the valves remaining in this position until again closed by the movement of the rod 27, there being no pressure in the chambers il and 4a, the valves 2l will remain closed as in F ig. (3 and cut olf communication of the pipes '129 with these two cylinders of the engine. The next step is to inject through the pipes 29 a combustible mixture, by means of any convenient device, which mixturel will pass into the chambers land 2. The valves are now all closed by releasing the rod 27 and by shifting the spark lever or by otherwise closing vthe spark circuit, as the casemay be; the charge of combustible mixture will be ignited Ain the cylinder having the piston on the working stroke, thispwill start the engine and the next cylinder in order will alsohave received a combustible mixture so that ,two explosions of these initial charges will occur thus etfectually starting the engine in the regular performance of the usual process.

What l claim is:

l. In an engine starter, a freely movable valve, moved to open position by pressure of fluid from the engine cylinder, means for preventing the valve from closing While injecting a. starting Huid past thesame and means for positively closing the valveagainst said pressure wherrthe engineiA ruiming. l l

2. In an engine starter, a freely movable valve, a detached and independently movable stem, means for forcing the stem against the valve to positivelyelose the same, means for moving the stemA away from the Valve to permit the latter to be blown open by Huid pressure from the engine `cylinder and means for holding the valve open to permit a starting fluid to pass the same .toward the engine. i

In an engine starter, a selecting valve adapted to be blown open by fluid pressure from the engine cylinder, means for holding the valve open to admit a starting fluid to the enfrine cylinder and means for restoring the valve to closed position.

les

4. ln an engine starter, a valve freelyv movable and opened solely by fluid pressure from the engine cylinder, automatic means for yieldably holding the valve open and manual] y operated means for positively closing said valve against the said pressure;

5. ln an engine starter, a freely movable valve opened solely by fluid pressure, manually operated means for positively closing said valve. and automaticmeans for yieldingly holding said valve in open position.

6. in an enginestarter, a freely movable valve opened solely by fluid pressure, a ball resting on said valve and adapted to yield- -ingly hold the valve open, and manually operated rmeans for positively valve. 1

7. ln an'engine starter, a valve ease having a conical seat and a lateral opening, a

closing the freely movable valve having a conical portion to engage the seat and a cylindrical portion below said opening, a ball in said opening of less diameter than the same and .resting on the cylindrical )ortion of the valve when the valve is closed, and engaging the conical portion ot' the valve to yieldiiigly hold the saine when open, and means for positively closing the valve.

8. In ali-engine starter, a valve casing having an interior chamber communicating with a cylinder ot' the engine, a freely movable valve in said chamber, a separately movable stem to engage said valve and positively close the same, and movable away from the valve to permit the same to open by tluid pressure, a spring to' move the stein away from the valve, a cam to move the stem against thle valve, ,and means for .manually rotating the cam.

9. In an engine starter, a valve case having an inner chamber and a passage comnuu'iicating with an engine cylinder, a 'freely movable valve to close said passage and opened solely by fluid pressure 'from the engine, a ball resting on said valve to yieldingly hold the same open, a separately movable stem to engage the valve and positively close the same, a cam engaging the stem to move the saine inward, a spring to rotate the cam and close the valve, and a lever to manually rotate the cam and hold the saine against the action ot' the sprinfr.

10. In an engine starter, a valve case hav-` i ing an inner chamber communicating witli the engine cylinder and a lateral opening to receive a combustible mixture, a valve freely movable in said chamber to open and close said communication, a separately movable stein to engage and positively close the valve, and incapable of opening the saine, a spring to move the stem away from the valve, a cam to 'move the stem against the valve and means for manually rotating the cam.

il. In an engine starter, a valve case having` an inner .cylindrical chamber provided at one end with a conical valve seat aznd a passage communicating with the engine cylinder and also Ahaving a lateral opening to receive a combustible mixture, a detached valve having a cylindrical portion opposite said lateral opening and a conical end to close said passage, a separately movable stein having a piston end opposite said lateral opening, a spring to move the stein away from the valve, and open a space between the valve and piston end to receive tluid from the lateral opening, and means for moving the piston end against the valve to positively close the same. y

l2. In an engine starter, a valve case having a cylindrical chamber, a passage communicatingwith the engine cylinder and a lateral opening to receive the fluid; a valve freely movable in said chamber having a cylindrical portion opposite the said opening and adapted to close and open said passage, a ball resting on said valve to yieldingly hold the saine open, a stein independently movable againstithe Valve to close the saine and movable away from the valve to leave the saine closed and permit it to be blown open b v fluid pressure from the engine, and means t'or manually moving the stein to close the valve.

ifi. In an engine starter, a pipe communicating with the engine cylinde and lerininating' iii a socket, a valve case having an inner eliambe' and a stein iotativcly adjustable in the socket and provided with an annular recess, and also having a passage connecting the recess and chamber, a valve in the chamber opened solely by lluid pressure from the engine, and means for positively closing the valve when the engine is running.

14. In an engine starter, a selecting valve opened by tlnid pressure from the engine, a rotative cani to close the valve reversibly mounted on a shaft, and a manually operated lever detaehably and reversibly connected to the cam 'to rotate the same.

^ 15. In an engine starter, a` selecting valve opened solely by fluid pressure from the engine, a separately movable stem to enga-ge and positively close the valve, a spring to move the stem away from the valve, a cam to move the stem against the valve andreversibly mounted on a shaft. a spring to rotate the shaft to close the valve, and a lever detachably and reyersibly connected to the cani to manually rotate the same against the action of the sprinf.

16. The combination of a multiple cylinder internal combustion engine. a valve case communicating with each cylinder and each ease adapted to receive combustible fluid, a valve ineach case freely movable and opened solely by fluid pressure from the respective. engine cylinder` a separately niovable stein lor each valve to p sitively close the same. means t'or forcing each stein toward the respective valve. levers to operate said means. a longitudinally movable rod to simultaneously operate said levers,

slotted connections between said levers and ncler internal Combmlon cugina n vulve Caste con'urmncating 'with @nth cylimlc: and relatively adjustable about ils zLXiS, zi. valve in the aus@ opened solely by fluid pressure CIK movable Stem in auch anso lo posil'ivcly close The rvspecl'ive vnlws, reversible @mns to Cngage the Sms und blogo the valves,y a lever reversibly uti'aclml to wall Oum, and u longi- 10 tudinally movable 'rml having a slotted coufrom ille. respective Cylinder, A Soymlal'oly :nection with each level' to Simultaneously Amove the levers to release 'the valves, nml a sp1-111g connected to each Cam to 1nd@- 

